Article Review

Thesis: US General Winfield Scott is rightly called the Napoleon of the West for his use of combined-arms divisions in the French style in the Mexico Campaign (1847), in which he proved that the French system was appropriate for the American way of war in that it facilitated the overcoming of enemies (Mexican forces) with superior numbers and defenses.

Main Arguments by Author:

A key task of military historians is to explain how military transformations affected military power and effectiveness over time.[footnoteRef:1] The author, Arndt, proceeds to explain the history of how the French system came to be upheld in the US in the 19th century. [1: Jochen Arndt, The True Napoleon of the West: General Winfield Scotts Mexico City Campaign and the Origins of the U.S. Armys Combined-Arms Combat Division Journal of Military History76, no. 3 (2012), 649.]

During the Mexico City campaign, Scott and his Army of Invasion of Mexico faced an adversary who enjoyed the advantages associated with superior numbers and the tactical defensive.[footnoteRef:2] Scott needed an exceptional organizational structure to help him advance and overcome this formidable enemy. [2: Jochen Arndt, The True Napoleon of the West: General Winfield Scotts Mexico City Campaign and the Origins of the U.S. Armys Combined-Arms Combat Division Journal of Military History76, no. 3 (2012), 651.]

Thanks to Scotts interest in French military ideas, the Army of Invasion of Mexico was organized according to the French system of quasi-independent combat divisions that united all three combat armsinfantry, artillery, and to a lesser extent also cavalrywithin a single organizational unit.[footnoteRef:3]...

[3: Jochen Arndt, The True Napoleon of the West: General Winfield Scotts Mexico City Campaign and the Origins of the U.S. Armys Combined-Arms Combat Division Journal of Military History76, no. 3 (2012), 652.]

Who is the author? Academic/work background? Other...

…the author is describingfor instance, Arndt explains, In this work the term tactics refers to troop maneuvers to and from as well as on the battlefield, and the use of weapon systems with the objective of destroying or dislocating the enemy army.[footnoteRef:6] The author also briefly touches on the political context of the war and how General Scott's successes impacted the United States' expansionist ambitions. [6: Jochen Arndt, The True Napoleon of the West: General Winfield Scotts Mexico City Campaign and the Origins of the U.S. Armys Combined-Arms Combat Division Journal of Military History76, no. 3 (2012), 651.]

Overall, I would recommend this article to anyone interested in the history of the US military and the development of combined-arms tactics. It is well-written and thoroughly researched. The author presents a clear argument and provides ample evidence to support it. The article is highly engaging and informative, even for one who knows nothing about the subject.

Bibliography

Arndt, Jochen Steffen.The battle tactics of General…